Balustrades



April 23, 1968 Filed Sept. 22, 1965 C. A. SPREY BALUSTRADES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE' N TOE (rm/a E5 film/11k SPREY By %m 14 7'TOENE Y5 United States Patent ()ffice Patented Apr. 23, 1968 3,379,413 BALUSTRADES Charles Arthur Sprey, London, England, assignor to Sprey Architectural Metals Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,313 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 16, 1964, 7 Claims. ((11. 256-65) 42,276/64 ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE The balustrade includes upper elongated rail elements connected together by shorter rail elements secured to the upper end of vertically extending support members by connectors pivotally mounted on the upper end of the support members. The elongated rail elements may be pivotally connected to the shorter rail elements or the elongated rail elements may be secured directly to the connectors. Alternatively, the rail elements may have a sliding connection with the respective connector, means being provided for locking the rail elements against sliding movement. The support members may be hollow and have openings formed therein and include means for mounting a light source within the interior thereof. An infill structure forming a parallel linkage arrangement may be pivotally connected between adjacent support members.

This invention relates to balustrades or like structures comprising supports between which longitudinal members extend and for use, for example, as hand rails or barriers.

According to the invention there is provided a set of parts for constructing a balustrade or like structure comprising a plurality of support members, a plurality of connectors, and one or more longitudinal members, each of which connectors is so constructed as to provide for separate connections between it and a support member and between it and one or more longitudinal members, the longitudinal member, or each such member when the set comprises more than one longitudinal member, being adapted, after assembly with the other parts of the set, to extend between adjacent support members to space them apart, and at least one of the aforesaid connections being a pivotable connection whereby the attitude of the or each longitudinal member with respect to the support members may be adjusted.

Each support member may comprise a post or bracket to one part of which a connector may be connected and another part of which is formed with a base element by means of which the support member may be secured to a fixed surface.

Each connector may comprise a first part adapted for connection to a support member and a second part adapted for pivotable connection to one or more longitudinal members, the two parts being adapted to be rigidly secured together, whereby the number of longitudinal members which may be connected to a connector and the manner in which they are pivotably connected may be determined by the form of said second part.

Each connector, or said second part of each connector where such is provided, may be formed with one portion of one or more hinge connections, the respective co-opcrating portion of the or each hinge connection being formed on one of said longitudinal members.

In the case where the support member comprises a post each pivotable connection preferably has a pivot axis perpendicular to the length of the post and to the length of the associated longitudinal member.

In the case where there is a pivotable connection between the connector and the support member and a pivotable connection between the connector and a longitudinal member, the pivot axes of said pivotable connections are preferably parallel.

In any of the above arrangements there may also be provided at least one further member or structure adapted to be pivotably connected to and extend between two support members, the pivot axes of said connections being parallel to the pivot axes of the pivotable connections associated with the connectors. For example the structure may comprise a parallel linkage distortable in a plane perpendicular to said pivot axes.

At least one of said support members may comprise a hollow post having openings formed in the wall thereof and means for securing a light source within the post.

In any of the above arrangements one or more of said support members may each be formed with one part of a pivotable connection, one or more of said connectors may each be formed with parts of two pivotable connec tions, and one or more of said longitudinal members may each be formed, at each end, with one part of a pivotable connection. It will be appreciated that in assembling such a set of parts, at any junction between a support member and a longitudinal member, the connector may be dispense-d with and the longitudinal member connected directly to the support member.

In such an arrangement the support member may comprise a tubular post flattened at one end to provide a lug, which lug is formed with a hole, and the longitudinal member may also comprise a tubular member flattened at each end to provide lugs in which holes are formed, the lugs on the support member and longitudinal member being bolted or riveted directly together or joined by means of a connector, to form the pivotable connection.

The invention also includes within its scope a balustrade when constructed from a set of parts of any of the forms referred to above.

The following is a more detailed description of various embodiments of the invention reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a balustrade support post;

FIGURES 2A to 2C are views of an intermediate member for pivotable connection to the support post;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are elevations of various alternative forms of longitudinal members;

FIGURE 6A is a plan view of a part for attachment to the intermediate member shown in FIGURES 2A to 2C;

FIGURE 6B is a side elevation of the part shown in FIGURE 6A;

FIGURES 7A, 8A and 9A and FIGURES 7B, "8B and 9B are similar views to FIGURES 6A and 6B respectively of alternative forms of parts for attachment to the intermediate member shown in FIGURES 2A to 2C;

FIGURE 10 is a view of a grid-like infill structure for fitting between adjacent support posts;

FlGURE 11 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a portion of an assembled balustrade.

FIGURE 12 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a further form of post and infill structure;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged view of a section through a connector of the kind shown in FIGURE 12; and

FIGURE 14 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an internally illuminated support post.

A support member for the balustrade to be assembled from the parts shown in the figures is shown in FIGURE 1 and comprises a circular cross section tube 10 to the lower end of which is welded a square base member 11 formed with four spaced holes 12 by means of which the lower end of the support post may be secured to a floor. The upper end of the tube has its opposite sides pressed together to form a lug 13 formed with a hole 14. Spaced apart along the length of the tube 10 are holes 15 the purpose of which will be referred to later.

Instead of being of the form shown the support post may be of square or any other convenient cross section and the lug 13, may, instead of being formed from the walls of the tube itself, be a separate part welded or bolted onto the upper end of the tube.

FIGURES 2A to 2C show an intermediate member which is adapted to be pivotably connected to the upper end of the support post shown in FIGURE 1. The intermediate member or connector comprises a square plate 5 formed with four threaded holes 16. Spaced lugs 17 extend downwardly from the lower surface of the plate 5 and are formed with registering holes 18 one of which is countersunk and the other of which is threaded. When the intermediate member is disposed with the lugs 17 embracing the lug 13 on the support post the holes 18 can be brought into register with the hole 14 in the lug 13 and a bolt 19 passed through them so that its threaded end engages the threaded hole 18 in one of the lugs 17.

FIGURES 3 to 5 show various forms of elongated, longitudinal members which are to form the major portion of the upper rail of the balustrade.

An alternative form of longitudinal member (not shown) consists of a hollow tube flattened at each end to provide a fiat lug which is formed with one or more holes, or a hinge part, for attachment to a connector.

When it is required to form a portion of balustrade the hand rails of which are in line, for example horizontally disposed along a level landing or inclined alongside a continuous flight of stairs, a longitudinal member or rail of the kind shown in FIGURE 3 may be employed. This rail consists merely of a bar 20 formed at opposite ends thereof with spaced holes 21 arranged to register with a pair of holes 16 on an intermediate member. One end of each rail 20 is then bolted to an intermediate member on one support post and the opposite end of the rail is bolted to the intermediate member on top of an adjacent support post and so on, the end of each rail 2t) overlapping half the plate 15 of each intermediate member. It will be appreciated that where the balustrade is secured on a horizontal surface the support posts are upright and the plates 5 of the intermediate members are horizontal, but that when the balustrade is to be secured in an inclined position the support posts are maintained upright and the intermediate members are tilted so that they, and hence the rails 20, are parallel with the incline.

Where there is to be a discontinuity in the hand rail of the balustrade, that is a change in the direction of the hand rail either when viewed in plan or from the side, the intermediate member comprises a further part which is secured to the part shown in FIGURES 2A to 2C and may be of any of the forms shown in FIGURES 6A to 9B.

For example where it is required to change the direction of the balustrade as seen from the side but to maintain it in the same direction as seen from above, there is provided a short rail element or plate 22 of the form shown in FIGURES 6A and 6B. The plate 22 is formed with four spaced holes 23 arranged to register with the threaded holes 16 in the plate 15 of the intermediate member, so that the two parts may be secured together by screws passing through the registering holes. The plate 22 is integrally formed at opposite edges thereof with tubular portions 24 each of which forms the central part of a hinge connection the outer parts of which are constituted by the end portion of a rail of the kind shown in FIGURE 4 or FIGURE 5. The end portion of the rail comprises two spaced lugs 26 one of which is formed with a hole 27 and the other of which is formed with a threaded hole 28. The holes 27 and 28 are brought into register with the hole in the tubular portion 24 of the plate 22 when that portion is introduced into the space between the lugs 26. A pin (not shown) may then be passed through the registering holes and screwed into engagement with the threaded hole 28. With this arrangement the angles between the railings attached to an intermediate member on top of a post may be adjusted by swinging the railing about the hinge formed by the parts 24 and 26 and/or by swinging the intermediate member to which the plate 22 is bolted about the pivoting connection between the lugs 13 and 17.

An alternative form of short rail element or plate for attachment to an intermediate member is shown in FIG- URES 7A and 7B. In this case the plate 29 is oblong and is formed with spaced tubular portions 24 on one long side thereof. The plate 29 is formed with eight holes 30 r so that the plate may be bolted either to one centrally disposed intermediate member on a single upright post or to two adjacent intermediate members on two upright posts immediately adjacent one another. With the plate shown in FIGURES 7A and 7B a railing approaching an upright post at an angle from below may join, at the post, a railing extending upwardly at an angle away from the upright post in the same direction as the first railing (as viewed in plan). Such an arrangement is suitable for use at the junction between adjacent incline stretches of a zig zagged stairs.

FIGURES 8A and 8B show an alternative form of short rail element or plate for attachment to an intermediate member. In this case the plate 31 is formed with tubular portions 24 on adjacent sides thereof and the plate is for use on a post at the junction of two stretches of balustrade which are to extend at right angles to one another as viewed in plan, and it will be appreciated that with this plate in use the two adjacent stretches of balustrading may also be inclined at an angle to one another as seen from the side.

FIGURES 9A and 9B show a still further form of short rail element or plate for attachment to an intermediate member in which the plate 32 has two inclined side edges each formed with a tubular portion 24. Such a plate is for use .on a support post at the junction between two stretches of balustrading which are disposed at an angle to one another as seen in plan. In this case also the stretches of balustrading may also be inclined to one another as seen from the side.

According to the nature of the short rail elements or plates secured to the support posts between which it is to extend the elongated rail may be of any of the forms shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5.

Instead of the tubular portions 24 being formed on separate plates which are then bolted to the plate 5 of the intermediate member, the plate 5 itself may be formed with the tubular portions and the further plate dispensed with.

In any of the arrangements shown rivets or pins may be used to form the pivotable connections instead of the bolts shown.

Referring now to FIGURE 10 there is shown in that figure a grid structure comprising two spaced longitudinal members 33. Between the two longitudinal members 33 and spaced from them is a structure comprising two further longitudinal members 34 spaced apart by a number of cross members 35 which are pinned at their ends to the longitudinal members 34. Short spacer members 36 connect the structure 34, 35 to the members 33. All the pinned connections between the var-ions members of the grid structure are pivotable connections. The opposite ends of the longitudinal members 33 are each pivotally connected by means of screws which engage the holes 15 in the upright posts 10 so that the grid structure extends between adjacent support posts. In the case where adjacent support posts are on diiferent levels so that the rails extending between them are inclined, the grid structure may be distorted to the form of a parallelogram extending between the two posts as seen in the right hand portion of FIGURE 11 which shows part of an assembled balustrade at the junction between a level and an inclined portion.

In the case where it is requird to mount a hand rail on a wall the aforementioned support members may be in the form of brackets one part of which is arranged for attachment to the wall by screws and the other part being formed with one or more lugs drilled to receive clamping screws which also pass through holes in the ends of the hand rail.

In the arrangement shown in FIGURE 12 the post comprises two parallel spaced upright members 40 between which are pivotally connected the ends of members 41 of an infill structure. At the lower end of the post there is provided a T-sectioned base member 42 the upstanding leg of which is sandwiched between the lower ends of the spaced members 40 and is bolted thereto. Connectors of any of the kinds referred to earlier may be used in conjunction with this post the connectors being pivotally connected between the upper ends of the two members 40. Preferably, however, there is provided a connector of the kind indicated at 43 in FIGURE 12. This connector (which is shown in section in further detail in FIGURE 13) comprises a lower portion 44 formed with a pivot hole 45 by means of which the connector may be pivotally connected between the upper ends of the two members 40. An upper portion 46 of the connector is secured to the lower part and is formed with an undercut, dovetail shaped groove 47 in its upper surface. Set screws 48, the purpose of which will be referred to later, are disposed in threaded bores passing through the upper portion 4-6 on opposite sides of the groove 47. The hand rail for use with this form of connector is shown in FIGURE 12 and comprises a flat elongated bar 49 formed on the lower surface of which is a dove-tailed shaped flange 50 which extends along the whole length of the bar 49 and is shaped slidably to engage the groove 47 in the upper portion 46 of the connector. When the flange 50 is located in the groove it may be held tightly in engagement with the undercut walls of the groove by the set screws 48, up against the lower surface of the bar 49. It will be appreciated that with this arrangement the hand rail 49 is slidably adjustable in relation to the connector 43.

The connector 43 may be used in a similar manner to the connector 15, 16, 17, 18 shown in FIGURE 2A to 20 and may be associated with parts similar to those shown in FIGURES 6A to 9B. In this case however the parts shown in those figures, instead of being attached to the connector by means of screws, are formed on their lower surfaces with short lengths of dove-tail sectioned flanges which are engageable with the groove 47 in the upper portion 46 of the connector.

Various lengths of hand rail 49 may be connected together end to end by means of a jointing element (not shown) similar to the upper portion 46 alone of the connector 43. In this case the end portions of the dove-tail shaped flanges of the two hand rails to be connected together are each introduced into half of the jointing element. Preferably two set screws are provided on each side of the groove in the jointing element so that the end of each hand rail portion is engaged by two set screws one on each side of the groove.

Where it is required to connect a hand rail to a connector by means of a hinge connection, instead of the end of the hand rail itself being formed with part of a hinge, as mentioned earlier, there may be provided for attachment to th connector 43 an assembly comprising a member for attachment to the connector 43 and a second member hingedly connected to the first part and formed with a short length of dove-tail shaped flange so that the end of the hand rail may be joined to the second member by a jointing element similar to that described above. Where only the end portion of a hand rail 49 requires to be connected to a connector 43, or member attached thereto, the flange 50 may extend only a short distance from the end of the hand rail instead of extending along the total length thereof.

FIGURE 14 shows an arrangement, referred to earlier, in which the support member comprises an internally illuminated upright post. In the arrangement shown the upright post is hollow and is formed from a channel section part 51 and a cover panel 52. The free edges of the channel section member 51 are formed with inwardly turned flanges 53 to which the cover panel 52 is secured by screws 54. The upper and lower ends of the post are covered respectively by a top plate 55 and a base plate 56. The base plate 56 is formed with holes 57 by means of which it may be secured to the floor, and the top plate 55 has secured thereto a log 58 to which may be pivotally attached a connector such as that shown in FIGURES 2A, 2B, and 2C, to which connector other parts may be connected as described above with reference to other forms of upright posts. Bosses 59 are spaced vertically apart along the walls of the channel section member so that one end of an infill structure, for example such as that shown in FIGURE 10, can be attached to the post.

The three walls of the channel section member 51 are formed with a number of vertically spaced diamondshaped apertures 60. A channel section screen 61, which may be formed from translucent plastics, is nested within the channel section member 51 so as to overlie all the apertures 60. A strip light indicated at 62 is mounted on the inner side of the cover panel 52 so as to extend axially within the translucent screen 61. An electrical conductor 63 to the light 62 passes through a grommet 64 at the base of the post.

With the arrangement shown in FIGURE 14 light from the strip light shines out through the openings 60 in the walls of the post. Also, if desired, the parts 51 and 52 of the post may be formed from translucent material in which case the apertures 60 and separate screen 61 are not required. The illuminated support posts described are particularly useful at locations where there is a change in the direction of the 'balustrading to draw attention to this change.

I claim:

1. A balustrade comprising: a plurality of spaced support members; an elongated rail extending between the support members, the elongated rail comprising a plurality of rail element means connected end to end; hinge means connecting at least one rail element to an adjacent rail element; a plurality of connectors, means pivotally connecting each connector to a support member, and separate means connecting each connector to at least one rail element.

2. A balustrade according to claim 1 wherein said one rail element is elongated and extends across substantially the whole of the space between two adjacent support members and said adjacent rail element is shorter than said one rail element, said shorter elebeing the one connected to a support member by a connector.

3. A balustrade according to claim 1 wherein one of said rail elements is rigidly secured to a connector.

4. A balustrade according to claim 1 wherein there is provided at least one infill structure pivotally connected to and extending between two support members, the pivot axes of the connections between the structure and the support members being parallel to the pivot axes of the aforesaid hinge connections.

5. A balustrade according to claim 4 wherein said infill structure comprises a parallel linkage distortable in a plane perpendicular to said axes.

6. A balustrade according to claim 1 wherein each support member is an elongated member and each pivotal connection between a connector and a support member has a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated support member and to an associated rail element.

7 7. A balustrade according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said support members comprises a hollow post having opening formed in the wall thereof and means for mounting a light source within the post.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 258,911 6/1882 Garver et a1 256-21. 522,817 7/1894 Zerfas 256--21. 1,623,873 5/1927 Jackson 256-24 1,658,118 2/1928 Doddridge 256-68 X 8 Sander 256-24 Hawkins 256-72 X Lapp et a1. 256-65 X Hawkins 256--21 Lanmon 256-32 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1957 Denmark.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, REINALDO P. MACHADO,

Examiners. 

